COUNTY DEPUTY GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS. GOOD EVENING, I AM LAUREN. AND I AM MATT AUSTIN. A FATHER IS SPEAKING OUT AFTER A SCHOOL STAFF MEMBER WOULDN'T LET HIS 5-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER PRAY BEFORE LUNCH. THE SCHOOL DENY IT IS HAPPENED, BUT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE NOW SEEN THIS VIDEO. I WAS TRYING TO PRAY, BUT I JUST COULDN'T BECAUSE THEY CAUGHT ME AGAIN. NOW THE KINDERGARTENER'S DAD SAID IT HAPPENED AT CAROLINE ELEMENTARY IN OVIEDO ON LOCKWOOD BOULEVARD. THAT IS WHERE MIKE DEFOREST IS NOW. WHAT DID THE GIRL'S DAD SAY ABOUT THIS. Reporter: THE FATHER SAID THEY ALWAYS PRAYED BEFORE MEALS AND BED AND DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE 5-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WAS PRAYING BEFORE HER CHURCH AT CAROLINE ELEMENTARY. THEY ARE DEMANDING AN APOLOGY FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHAT THEY SAY WAS THEIR DAUGHTER'S FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH. MY LUNCH TEACHER TOLD ME THAT -- WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING, SHE SAID, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PRAY. SHE SAID YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PRAY? IF YES. Reporter: MARCO AND KATHY PEREZ ACKNOWLEDGE THEY POST VIDEO OF THEIR 5-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER GABRIELLA ON YOUTUBE BEFORE REACHING OUT TO THE PRINCIPAL AT CAR LINE ELEMENTARY. ACCORDING TO SCHOOL OFFICIALS, THEY LOOKED INTO THE ALLEGATIONS THAT THE LUNCHROOM WORKER TRIED TO STOP THE GIRL FROM PRAYING AND THEY EVEN INTERVIEWED THE STAFF HERE, BUT NO ONE COULD RECOLLECT SPEAKING TO THE KINDERGARTENER. THE LIBERTY INSTITUTE, AN ORGANIZATION THAT DEFENDS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM SENT A LETTER TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ASKING FOR THAT APOLOGY AND DEMANDING THAT THE DISTRICT EXPLAIN WHAT STEPS IT WILL TAKE TO PREVENT RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION. IF THIS KIND OF MEDIA SPLASH OR RESPONSE COULD CAUSE THAT PERSON TO PAUSE NEXT TIME THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO INFRINGE ON ANOTHER WESTERN'S FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT, THEN MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. Reporter: THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SHOULD FIRE THE LUNCHROOM MONITOR THAT THEY SAY TOLD HER. BUT THE 5-YEAR-OLD WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE THE PARENTS WITH THE PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE EMPLOYEE. THE FAMILY SAID THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN AROUND TO SHARE THOSE DETAILS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. THE FAMILY'S ATTORNEY THEN JUMPED IN TO EXPLAIN THAT THEY ARE, QUOTE, NOT ON A WITCH HUNT. THE PEREZS SAY THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONTEMPLATING HOME SCHOOLING THEIR DAUGHTER, AND THEY SAY THAT INCIDENT HERE PROMPTED THEM TO PULL HER OUT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL. A SEMINOLE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT SPOKESPERSON SAID THAT THE DISTRICT DOES NOT HAVE ANY POLICY POLICIES THAT WOULD PROHIBIT PRAYING DURING LUNCH OR ANY OTHER TIME DURING THE SCHOOL DAY SO LONG AS IT DOESN'T DISRUPT OTHER SCHOOL FUNCTIONS. MAT THE. MIKE, YOU AND I HAVE KIDS THAT AGE. THEY HAVE BIG IMAGINATIONS SOMETIMES. WHY THE PARENTS SO CERTAIN THAT SHE IS TELLING THE TRUTH? Reporter: WELL, THEY SAY THEIR DAUGHTER FIRST BROUGHT THIS UP A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. THEY DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT, AND THEN TEN DAYS LATER THEY ASKED HER ABOUT IS AGAIN. HER DETAILS WERE PRECISE AND SHE DIDN'T CHANGE HER STORY AND

OVIEDO, Fla. -

The attorneys representing the family of a 5-year-old who claims she was told by an official that she wasn't allowed to pray at school said the school has launched an investigation into the incident.

According to the Liberty Institute, the Perez family met with officials from Carillon Elementary School in Oviedo on Monday and Gabriella Perez recounted the situation to the principal and school attorney, re-enacting her prayer in the lunchroom.

The Liberty Institute also said Gabriella was presented with a lineup and positively identified the "lunchroom teacher" who she says told her praying was wrong. The lineup was conducted at the request of the school, the Liberty Institute said.

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Seminole County Public Schools, however, would not confirm to Local 6 whether an investigation was taking place or if a lineup was conducted.

"We are grateful that Carillon Elementary School is now taking this matter seriously and conducting a thorough investigation," said Jeremy Dys, senior counsel to the Liberty Institute. "We hope that, at the conclusion of this investigation, school officials will apologize for this clear violation of the Perez family's religious liberty and begin to restore the trust of the community."

Local 6 first reported last week the controversy surrounding the video posted on YouTube by the girl's father, Marco Perez, as Gabriella described the incident. Gabriella said that she was bowing her head when a lunchroom teacher told her she wasn't allowed to pray.

The Perez family said the exchange occurred in the lunchroom of Carillon Elementary School the week of March 10.

"My goal throughout this process has been to defend my daughter's religious liberty. I am thankful that the school now believes that something clearly happened when my daughter attempted to say grace and are taking swift action to correct the situation," Marco Perez said.

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